Etched in Stone: Thoroughbred Memorials

by Lucy Zeh

A fascinating historical tour of 475 Thoroughbred memorials commemorating legendary Thoroughbred racehorses buried in Central Kentucky. The memorials, dating from the 1870s to present day, range from simple markers to elaborate and ornate cemeteries. Zeh brings to life the names carved in granite, from Domino, the great 19th Century champion, to Secretariat and Mr. Prospector. Richly illustrated with over 100 photographs.

223 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2000

Reviews

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less about cemeteries than about racehorses, this is a very strange book indeed. It might serve as an introduction to the appeal of graveyards for a skeptical relative who understands the jargon of horse racing and is familiar with the big races, champions, and breeders of the past.

It might also provide an itinerary for travel in Kentucky. Zeh explains that equine graveyards vary from a lone monument to formal cemeteries, some of which include bronze statuary. The book indexes horse monuments by farm, followed by maps that show where the bodies are buried. (So to speak, anyway. Sometimes horses were not buried in their entirety: only their heads, hearts, and hooves were interred.) The morbid aspects are glossed over in favor of biographies of the deceased.

The book includes a color photo of each headstone visited, as well as copious photos of the horses, jockeys, and races. Some of the cemeteries are remarkably poignant.

I envision tourists standing beside the granite marker of Domino, "one of the gamest and more generous of horses," reading from the guidebook about his victories and funeral. For some reason, the image warms my black heart.

This review originally appeared on Gothic.Net in November 2001.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a bittersweet re-read of my good friend Lucy's book, as she passed away very suddenly and tragically last month. I was honored to join her on many of these farm visits and thoroughly enjoyed this trip down memory lane. The book takes you on a tour of many of the cemeteries and memorials in the Lexington area dedicated to great Thoroughbreds of the past, from the oldest markers in the bluegrass: Longfellow (1867-1983) and Ten Broeck 1872-1887), and coming up through the memorials of 20th century racehorses at well known modern farms such as Three Chimneys and Ashford Stud. I enjoyed the fact that the book told a little bit about each location before discussing some of the horses buried there, briefly covering their racing and breeding careers. The photographs are just as interesting, seeing the variety of memorials used to grace the burial sites, from simple headstones such as Secretariat's, that includes just his name, year of birth and year of death, to large memorials such as the one at the Kentucky Horse Park that honors Man o' War. It's heartwarming to me to know that these horses that bring us so much joy are so honored in their deaths. Rereading this book was my way of honoring Lucy. You will be missed, my friend.